How to convert a Manual mod into a Nexus Mod Manager compatible mod for personal use
Warning: Do not convert someone else's mod and reupload it online without their permission!
Caveat: if it's just a simple xml mod, it's an older mod, and the author isn't responsive, it's usually okay to recreate the mod, and credit the original author for their inspiration. Do not steal mods with assets and and resources from other users! If you don't understand the difference, just don't do it!
Background: Most 7d2d mod authors posting to Nexus make their mods compatible with Nexus Mod Manger. However, some don't. Often, you can politely ask a mod author to make their mod compatible with it. Some of them are kind enough to do this. The problem is, for various reasons, some won't. So what do you do if you want to use their mods in either Vortex or ModOrganizer2 (MO2) along with the rest of your list?
Four common issues and how to fix them:
1. Manual Mod on Nexus or offsite:
If a mod is listed as Manual (for download on Nexus), or posted off-site (not on Nexus), but it was made correctly (to be compatible with MO2/Vortex), you can just manually drag the zipped file into MO2/Vortex.
Drag the zipped mod into MO2/Vortex > Mods > Drop File(s).
Install the mod, Enable the mod, move the mod to your desired place in the Load Order screen, then Deploy your mod list.
Some manual mods work fine like this.
Example: I wanted to use "Firearms Expansion 5", but the author set the mod to Manual. However, since they made the mod correctly to be compatible with Vortex, it plugs right in, no issues.
2. Mod has no ModInfo.xml file, or the ModInfo.xml was formatted incorrectly (according to Vortex):
Often, in the logs, you will see something like this:
C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Roaming\7DaysToDie\logs2024-10-23T09:08:05 3.574 INF [MODS]Trying to load from folder: 'ACT-Kubli Drive Inn Hotel (no Zombies)-4329-1-1-1729631730'
2024-10-23T09:08:05 3.574 WRN [MODS] Folder ACT-Kubli Drive Inn Hotel (no Zombies)-4329-1-1-1729631730 does not contain a ModInfo.xml, ignoring
a. There is no ModInfo.xml file. You need to create one. This is common with Community made POI packs.
b. There is a ModInfo.xml file, but it wasn't formatted in a way acceptable to Vortex. You need to fix this. This is common in general, but especially with mods made in earlier Alphas of the game.
Google "Notepad++", download, and install the free program.
Create, or Edit the ModInfo.xml file in Notepad++.
It should look like this:
Look at a known good ModInfo.xml file, copy the contents, then tweak your own version in a new xml file.
Place the folders in the correct folder path structure, zip, and drag it into MO2/Vortex. That usually works.
c. (rare!) There is a ModInfo.xml, it looks to be in the correct format acceptable to Vortex, but it's still not working?! Try unzipping the current mod, then zip it up again as a new mod. Sometimes the zipping process didn't work correctly... maybe they used a different compression tool, and MO2/Vortex is being finicky, idk. Other times it could be a weird naming convention issue, so try changing the mod name. Example: don't name a mod with the prefix "cc..." in Skyrim.
In Notepad++, in the xml file, watch for spaces, punctuation, opening/closing code operators... if it starts with < it needs to end with a >.
d. For Linux users, the name "ModInfo.xml" is case-sensitive, so if the author wrote it as "mOdiNfo.xml" it won't work for Linux distros.
3. Is it double nested?
A double-nested folder, is a duplicate folder path layer that messes up MO2/Vortex. MO2/Vortex will not run the mod correctly.
Example of a double-nested folder:
-ModName.zip
- Mod Name folder
- Mod Name folder
-Config folder
-ModInfo.xml
A properly nested folder of a zipped mod should look like this:
-ModName.zip
- Mod Name folder
-Config folder
-ModInfo.xml
So to fix a double-nested folder, you need to remove the duplicate folder layer.
Unzip the original mod zip file, move into the second (correct) folder directory, and zip the single-layer Mod Name folder.
Drag that new zip into MO2/Vortex. If the mod was made correctly, it should work.
If that didn't work, there might be other issues.
4. Mods with multiple sub-mod folders:
MO2 can handle multiple sub-mod folders if the pathing is correct, and you know what you are doing. Just be careful when you install the zip file, watch the dropdown name selector, and folder structure to ensure there is no double-nesting.
Vortex can only handle simple one-folder-layer deep zip files, like the pictures in the previous examples on this page.
Vortex cannot handle mod folder structures with multiple mod folders under one zip very well.
In order to make a mod with multiple sub mod folders function in Vortex, each sub-mod folder needs to be zipped individually and dragged into Vortex.
Before Izayo allowed me to make his mod available on Nexus, I had to do this to originally make "IZY's AIO Gun Pack" work in Vortex for my own use.
For Manual modders, they just unzip the main file in their Mods Folder.
As a Vortex user, I had to zip each of the ten sub-mod files individually, and drag them all into Vortex. That's why Izy's mod is broken up into 10 separate files. It's for Vortex users!
So if you find a mod you like, but it has multiple sub-folders under the zip, you have to zip each sub-mod folder individually, and drag all of them into Vortex. Remember, each zip must have it's own correctly formatted ModInfo.xml file.
Example: Hypothetically speaking (of course), let's say there is a popular mod that the author said "Do not add this mod to Vortex Collections!", but you want to add it to your own Vortex modlist for personal use, you could theoretically unzip the mod folder, then zip each sub-folder of that mod, and drag all of the individually zipped sub-folders into Vortex > Mods section > Drop File(s) section. Install them, and Enable them in Vortex. Then sort out your Load Order. Then Deploy. Now you have their mod in your personal Vortex mod list.
Reasons some mod authors won't make their mods compatible with Vortex:
1. It's extra work, and they don't care about MO2/Vortex users since their mod works as is manually for people who know how to mod. This is especially true if they have a large mod with complicated sub directory folders, and they update their mod often. They don't want to upload nineteen subfolders just to make a minority of Vortex users happy.
2. They hate Vortex, and refuse to support it. Vortex has issues with modding 7D2D, and they don't want to waste time assisting Vortex users in troubleshooting problems that don't exist for manual modders. Generally speaking, many Vortex users don't understand how modding works, and can be needy. Mod authors want to spend less time troubleshooting, doubly true if they don't use Vortex themselves.
3. They don't know how to create/fix a ModInfo.xml file to the format desired by MO2/Vortex.
4. They did everything correctly, but sometimes a bad zipping (file compression) can mess up the mod's compatibility with Vortex, and they don't want to re-zip another attempt.
Whatever the reason, respect their wishes, and don't harass them to support MO2/Vortex.
Ask politely once, if their answer is no, you now know how to make their mod available for your personal use.
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